


Cheshire & King

by Aelig



Series: Comfortember 2020 [12]
Category: Black Canary (Comics), Green Arrow (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types
Genre: Dinah Lance is Roy Harper's Mom, Dinah Lance is a Good Grandparent, Dinah Lance is a Good Parent, Dog - Freeform, Earth-197, Gen, Kitten, Lian Harper Is a Sweetheart, Pets, Roy Harper is a good parent, and yes i will die on this hill too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27530461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelig/pseuds/Aelig
Summary: "Roy's grip on Dinah's arm kept getting tighter and tighter at every step. Lian walked in front of them, her gaze wandering left and right. Around them were cages and animals – dogs and cats principaly.Dinah had surprised them this morning by bringing them to the nearest rescue center. She told Lian to choose a pet to bring home with her, and then assured Roy she was paying for everything. “It's a gift for my granddaughter,” she had said, and Roy really couldn't argue with her on that. So he let her – but he was still worrying, somehow. He could feel the anxiety curling up in his stomach getting more and more present at every step."OR: Dinah has gifts for Roy and Lian.
Relationships: Lian Harper & Dinah Lance, Lian Harper & Roy Harper, Roy Harper & Dinah Lance, Roy Harper & Dinah Lance & Lian Harper
Series: Comfortember 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996051
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	Cheshire & King

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!! I hope you're all okay!! 
> 
> I like how today's prompt turn out :D I hope my Roy is okay, it's my first time writing him! Same for Dinah tbh. 
> 
> It can be read as a sequel to yesterday's prompt!
> 
> Big thanks to [Dottie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dottie_wan_kenobi/pseuds/dottie_wan_kenobi) for being my beta once again!! :heart:

Roy's grip on Dinah's arm kept getting tighter and tighter at every step. Lian walked in front of them, her gaze wandering left and right. Around them were cages and animals – dogs and cats principaly.

Dinah had surprised them this morning by bringing them to the nearest rescue center. She told Lian to choose a pet to bring home with her, and then assured Roy she was paying for everything. “It's a gift for my granddaughter,” she had said, and Roy really couldn't argue with her on that. So he let her – but he was still worrying, somehow. He could feel the anxiety curling up in his stomach getting more and more present at every step.

“Do you have an idea about what kind of pet you want?” asked the employee who walked beside Lian. The little girl shook her head. “It's alright. A lot of people don't know before coming here. Why don't you look at the animals, see what catches your eyes?”

Lian turned toward them. Roy nodded at her, and she immediately left to look around. The employee addressed their next words to them, then.

“It's her first pet, I guess?”

“Yeah. It's a gift. For... Her birthday.” Kind of. More like, to help her after her return to life.

“It's very nice!” The employee was beaming at them now. “From her parents, then?”

Roy grimaced and Dinah laughed. “Her grandmother,” she answered sweetly, her gaze brushing Lian before coming back to their interlocutor.

“Oh,” they said, visibly surprised. Roy could empathize with that – Dinah was pretty young for a grandmother. Even with being partly raised by her, Roy still felt weird to call her his mother or Lian's grandmother – no matter how much he loved Dinah. “I see!” Credit to the employee though, they didn't ask any more questions on it. “It's a very nice gift, then! A kitten or a puppy should be a good start, I suppose, but you have to be ready to help her educate them.”

Roy nodded – it was the part concerning him. “Yeah, I know. I can do that, I think.”

“Oh, perfect!”

They all turned toward Lian to keep an eye on her. She was now in front of a cage, crouched to be in front of the animal inside of it.

“Oh,” said the employee again. “It's- It's a kitten, we've had her for a month now. But, she's very... She had been hurt before, and she doesn't trust easily. She actually bites a lot.”

“Can I see her?” asked Lian, her pleading gaze now on them.

The employee visibly hesitated. “I'm...” They looked at them and Roy gave them an apologetic smile. “Alright then.” They carefully opened the cage.

The kitten didn't come out, and Lian sat a little more comfortably on the floor. Then, she reached her hand out, palm open toward the pet. “It's alright,” she said softly. “We're the same.”

She stayed like that, calm and patient, until the kitten stuck out her muzzle, gaze on her. She smiled at the little creature. The cat was black, with a half-torn ear and a scar near her left eye. She was cute, kind of, but also obviously scared. The pet slowly approached Lian, sniffling at her hand before pressing her head against it. Beaming, Lian started to pet her carefully, the cat closer and closer to her lap by the second.

Roy couldn't but smile at the cuteness of it all. Lian apparently already made her choice, and she was too stubborn to change her mind.

Dinah laughed quietly beside him. “She's good with her.”

“Yeah. I think we're gonna bring her home.”

“It's... the first time something like that has happened,” said the employee, bemused.

“Yeah, Lian is like that,” grinned Roy. He didn't even try to hide the pride in his voice. His daughter was the best little girl in the whole world.

They watched the two play together for a little while before Roy spoke again. “What are you gonna name her, pumpkin?” He asked Lian.

Lian tilted her head – an habit she took from Dick. “Cheshire.”

“Like Alice in Wonderland?” asked the employee. “Very cute!”

Roy knew better, though. But he wasn't about to correct them with a “No, like her assasin mother.”

He should get in contact with Jade, tell her the new development. She would probably want to drop by to hug their daughter. Lian would be happy, too – Roy knew she missed her mom, even if she didn't really say so.

“Cheshire,” murmured Dinah beside him, and he looked at her. She had a thoughtful frown on her face. “It fits.”

He hummed without commenting further. They let Lian and the newly-dubbed Cheshire play some more, the cat now on the little girl's lap, cuddling against her.

“We should go, Lian.”

She pouted a little before taking Cheshire in her arms, very careful not to spook her.

“Wait,” intervened Dinah. “We're not entirely finished yet. Can we see the dogs?”

“Of course!” answered the employee with enthusiasm.

Roy was confused now. “Dinah? What?”

“I have another gift. Come on now.”

He followed her, seeing the trap from a mile away. He was supposed to be here for _Lian_ , not for _him_. Dinah played him well.

“Here!” said the employee when they arrived in the dogs section.

“Perfect, thank you,” politely answered Dinah before shoving Roy toward the cage. He glared at her but she waved it away with a victorious smile.

He wasn't really sure what to look for. A puppy didn't tell him anything, and Dinah knew him well enough to know that plus the fact that he wasn't that fond of cats (as funny as it can be). He let his eyes brush every dog in front of him without stopping anywhere.

He stopped in front of a cage at the end of the hallway. There was a dog here, with a pale brown color, his calm eyes staring at him.

“Oh, this one is quite old,” announced the employee. “We got him when his previous owner died.”

Roy hummed, quietly staring at the dog. The dog was still looking at him, still calm, maybe a little curious.

“What's his name?” he asked finally.

“King,” they said, and Roy laughed. He could hear Dinah's snort behind him, and he grinned.

“Well, seems like we're made for each other.”

It didn't take long after that to sign the papers for Cheshire and King. Dinah paid everything, like she promised, and Roy's protest didn't change anything.

It was scary, and Roy was feeling anxious, but – he was glad, too, when he saw Lian putting Cheshire in her new transport cage with a concentrated frown and King get in the car without even being told.

Dinah kissed his cheek. “Everything will be okay,” she said, and Roy really wanted to believe her.

.

.

.

Dinah came back to see them at his new apartment at the end of the week. It was in Star City, well located, the rent not too expensive. His new job paid well enough so Roy and Lian could live comfortably, and take care of their pets – and without Oliver pestering him by trying to give him money.

Cheshire loved her liberty at the apartment. She kept running everywhere at every hour of the day – when she was not sleeping, that was. She adored Lian, too, and tried to bite Roy the first time she saw him carry the little girl to bed. Very protective, which was amusing in it's own way.

King was very calm and loved cuddles. He was always sitting on Roy, or with at least his head on his lap, and Roy couldn't even be mad with how sweetly the dog looked at him. He didn't mind the apartment but needed to go out regularly, which forced Roy himself to go out and take some fresh air.

He had been worried at first that the kitten and the dog wouldn't be able to share the same space; it had been for nothing, though. If Cheshire had been scared at first, King immediately adopted the kitten as his own and they were now always napping together. Lian even joined them sometimes.

Roy may or may not have a new background for his phone.

“So, I get that everything is going well?” asked Dinah with a grin, both of them sipping at their coffee at the kitchen table while Lian was playing with the pets in the living room.

“Yeah, it is.” And since he knew Dinah and knew what she wanted to hear, he added, “Yes, you were right, and it was a good idea.”

“I'm always right, honey. You should know it.” Despite her playful remark, she was pleased.

Roy laughed. “Sure.” He walked around the table, stopping beside Dinah. He kissed her cheek. “Thanks, Mama Bird.”

Her smile was soft, and fond, and the same she always gave him no matter what. “Anytime, honey.”

They both went sitting on the couch, laughing while Cheshire tripped on her own pawns and face planted on the floor, King gently grabbing her by her neck to put her back on four.

It was nice, and Roy was feeling maybe just a little bit better, and relaxed. And maybe he leaned against his mom, and she pressed a kiss on his hair, and Lian came jumping on his lap with a wide, happy smile, and he felt whole, for once.

And maybe, maybe it was just what healing looked like.

**Author's Note:**

> Roy means King in ancient French :D
> 
> I hope you all liked it!!
> 
> Tomorrow we have Baking :D
> 
> Take care, a lot of love for you!! :heart:


End file.
